Present day telephony voice networks, have a network built around circuit switches, end offices, a toll network, tandem switches, and twisted pair wires. These voice networks are referred to as a public switched telephone network (PSTN) or plain old telephone service (POTS). Due to bandwidth limitations of plain old telephone service (POTS), there is an inherent inability to efficiently integrate multiple types of media such as telephony, data communication for personal computers (PC), and television (TV) broadcasts. Accordingly, a new broadband architecture is required. This new architecture gives rise to a new array of user services including new ways of securing communications.
Communications, for example telephone calls, made on existing wireline PSTN have a certain level of security since they are comprised of a dedicated hard-wired systems. On the other hand, communications made using packet-based broadband communication networks (e.g., IP telephony) are transmitted through a shared media nay be accessed by unauthorized hackers that have access to the shared media. The level of security on a shared media system is thus less than the level of security offered by traditional dedicated hard-wired systems. Therefore, there is a need to increase the security of communications (e.g., IP telephony call) made using a packet based broadband communication system.